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Wasteland 3



PROS
CONS


A lot of build variety
There is obvious build type hierarchy


Story has some intrigue on top of dark humor
Character models seem like they didn’t get any TLC for a fairly recent game


A handful of side missions were beneficial
Modification didn’t feel empowering


A good build becomes cracked
Respecing isnt forgiving, download a mod


Choice driven results felt impactful enough





Bugs and Issues
Specs




N/A





AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
ASUS TUF RTX 4070Ti
32 GB 3600MHz RAM
2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
1440p Settings






Content and Replay Value
Wasteland 3 does a good job of pushing you along the main story path as well as supplementing the experience with side missions that are brief yet fun. There is plenty of replay value if you’re searching for it in Wasteland 3 considering that it’s a choice driven CRPG. Personally, I feel as though I’ve gotten everything, I wanted out of it. Don’t be fooled though, this game can be played multiple times over with iterations of builds and story outcomes.


Should you get it?
Wasteland 3 feels like a solid story driven CRPG that, for the genre, wants to get in and out. It scratches the itch of guiding and building a party, getting in a playpen sized sand box, and seeing how your choices pan out. If you want something shorter than Baldur’s Gate or Pillars of Eternity (PoE), this is up your alley. Just don’t expect the same level of scope or polish.


Overall Verdict
8/10. Let’s address the knocks up front. Polish was a big one for me. I know this isn’t a AAA game honestly, I do, but other CRPGs are a bit smoother around the edges than this game i.e. XCOM, PoE, Solasta and Pathfinder. All those games feel as though they’re in the same budget, yet the latter games are more visually appealing. The second knock is the hierarchy in skills. Not all skills are created equal in this game. That coincides with the fact that if you make the wrong build, respecing a character isn’t cheap (at least early on). This is nothing a mod cant fix though. Outside of those two (minor) knocks, Wasteland 3 is a great game that does its job of delivering a choice driven story and gets out without overstaying its welcome (in terms of CRPGs). I clocked ~61 hours before credits rolled and was satisfied with the outcome


Setting & Writing:
As the title suggests, this is the third installment in the Wasteland series. For those wondering if you can jump in without prior knowledge, my answer is an astounding…sure. I have no prior knowledge of the Wasteland series, but I was able to attain the following information. The timeline is post-apocalyptic via post Regan era alternate history where the Cold War didn’t pan out that well for the US. At least that’s what I got. Your player created characters (you make two) are sent from the Desert Ranger command in Arizona (which I guess the game usually takes place). The mission is to procure food, rations, and other resources to stabilize your home. To do so the command brokered a deal with the Patriarch, leader of Colorado. His task is simple, round up his rebellious kids and you get a steady stream of resources back to Colorado. That is until you find out each of his kids want to usurp his throne. This is where the intrigue is inserted. Throughout the story you learn Colorado’s situation and how dysfunctional the state truly is. The game introduces numerous factions who you can gain/loss allegiance to by doing mission for them or how you talk to them a la Mass Effect style. The report gained/loss affects story scenarios and overall ending. Wasteland does enough not only to keep the story interesting but also funny with its dark sense of humor. Each child that you round up is in a different enough situation to make the story beat feel refreshing.
Gameplay system & Bosses:
Being a CRPG you already know what you’re getting yourself into. Wasteland combat doesn’t do anything to reinvent the wheel here. It’s a board style turn based system like XCOM where moving and actions take “Action Points” (AP). If I may offer some advice, just about everyone is bad in this game. So shoot first because gaining initiative is key in these fights. Having the first round does wonders because enemies hurt! Not so bad that the game feels unfair but enough where you don’t want to put yourself in the situation after a fight to go through all your consumables. Another piece of advice that I found made the game a little more fun was that the creators implore that you make a diverse team. You’ll find out that there are a lot of choices to make in the leveling system. There are attributes that bump up passives like gaining more AP, speed for initiative, or leadership which increases experience earned and provides the team with passive combat boost. There are skills which specialize your character in things such as specific weapons, lockpicking, explosives, and toaster repairing (don’t overlook this skill). Lastly, there are perks. Based off the amount invested in your skills, perks will allow you to do special feats that involve that skill. Since you have 6 characters at any given moment, its important to diversify your team to pick up everything. This makes it so that your party is widely covered when it comes threats in Colorado. Bosses aren’t anything to write home about with the sole exception that there are unique opportunities to circumvent the difficulty of them. Sometimes you may be able to talk your way out of them if you have a gift of gab. Other times exploring the map may lead you to a common ally or path puts the boss at a disadvantage. Or sometimes you may have the technical know-how to ally that boss robot to your team. There’s variety in handling these situations. And we know that variety is the spice of life.
Quest, Mini-games & Challenges:
Something I enjoyed about this game is that the quest never felt convoluted or that there was no guess work. The optional side quest felt rewarding, and the Challenge missions (aka Scorpiontrons) were fun. Starting with the quest, they’re all laid out in a format where it gives you a handful of options on how to go about your task. They’ll introduce a couple of factions that can make your life a little easier. Then once you devise and execute your plan the quest is over, on to the next one. I never overstayed my welcome, but stayed long enough to enjoy the story beat that was going on. Sometimes you’re put in a situation where it’s reminiscent to Mad Max: Thunderdome. Other times you’re introduced to a weird cult society that worships Ronald Regan who has beef with a machine commune who they believe to be communist (heh heh heh). Something a little different every time. Side quest come up when the team is on travel to the various locations or when you visit your base of operations. What was pleasant is that: 1. There aren’t a exhausting amount of side missions and 2. The side missions for the most part were rewarding, often giving my team some type of special gear, perk or a solid chuckle. Then there are Scopiontrons. These are apparently a staple in the Wasteland series similar to a Deathclaw in Fallout, they are a bit challenging to overcome. But once you do, you can breathe easy and reap your rewards.
Miscellaneous (art, music, etc.):
(Section did not make review, TL;DR nothing interesting outside of a handful of licensed music choices)